Harmonica



Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,257

G. B. DUSINBERRE HARMONICA Filed May 19, 1921 ZW @www Patented Dec. 9,1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. DUSINBEBBE, 0F ELMIRAQNEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO GLENOBA HARMONICACOMPANY, INC., OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HARMONICA.

` Application tiled Hay 19, 1921. Serial No. 470,870.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. .DUSIN- BERRE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and Sta-te of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Harmonicas,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to musical instruments of the harmonica type, andhas for its chief object to improve the musical pos-v sibilities ofinstruments of this type by increasing the number of available reedplates so as to make possible a greater combination of chords .than isobtainable with a harmonica as usually constructed with two reed plates.

In my improved instrument three or more reed plates are provided,carried by a plate holder which can be shifted by the operator relativeto the mouth piece so as to render effective various combinations ofplates.

In the accompanying sheet of 'drawings showing both a three and fiveplate harmonica embodying my invention, Fig. 1 is .a side view of athree plate harmonica embodied in a form which is very satisfactory,parts being 'broken away; Fig. 2v is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3is a side view of the platev holder with the casing and mouth pieceremoved; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view substantially along theline 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an end view looking toward the right ofFig. 1 with one end of the casing removed; Fig. 6 is an enlargedtransverse sectional view; Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 4, showing afive plate instrument; Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of thesame; Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of a three plate 'instrumentshowing a different way of forming the casing and mouth piece; and Fig.V10 is an end view of the same.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, it will be observed that the instrumenthere shown, includes a cylindrical casing 10, with a mouth piece 11having spaced air passageways 12. In this instance the' mouth piece isformed by a separate member secured to the casing by screws 13, thecasing having openings 12a which register with the passageways 12 of themouth piece.

Inside the casing, and in this case coaxial therewith, is a plate holderprovided in this instance with three reed plates 14, 15 an'd 16,separated by two chambered spacers 17 and 18, havin passageways,chambers or cells 19 ex-tendlng therethrough. The reeds of the reedplates communicate with these passageways so that they may be affectedin the usual manner by air drawn or forced through the passageways.

Tlhe plate holder may ibe formed in different ways, but in theembodiment shown the chambered spacers 17 and 18 consist of two separatemembers with the middle reed plate clamped between them, and with theirouter sides covered by the two outer reed plates, the chambered spacersand the reed plates being solidly clamped together by transverse screws20 passing through the ends of the chambered spacers and through theends of the reed plates beyond the endmost reeds. In this instance also,the screws 20 hold against the two outermost reed plates two metalpieces 21 which extend lengthwise of the reed plates, and have inlnerportions bearing against the plates between the reeds. Likewise thesepieces project laterally outward into contact with the lnner wall of thecylindrical casing 10.

The o positely disposed edges of the spacers 1 and 18 are rounded, thecurvature conforming accurately to the curvature of the casing, theinside wall of which closely engages with a spring action the curved topand bottom edges of the spacers with sufficient tightness to form apractically air-tight joint, but at the same time to permit the plateholder to be turned inside the casing. Of course, the contact betweenthe rounded edges of the spacers and the inner wall'of the casing doesnot formv an air-tight joint in the strictest sense of the term, butnevertheless the fit of the holder inside the casing is such as toprevent any material amount of leakage.

The casing is completed by the addition to the cylindrical body 10 oftwo end caps 22, with inturned flanges fitting over the cylindrical bodyportion of the casing. These end caps are in this instance secured 'byscrews 23, to the ends of the plate holder.

Though I do not wish to be confined to this particular construction ormethod of shifting the plate holder inside the cylindrical part of thecasing, nevertheless the attachment of the caps to the plate holder withthe caps capable of turning on the body portive way of turning the plateholderinside `thebodyportiono the Inthisln-` casing tion of the doesprovide a very effecstan aswillbeobeervedin ig.2,the inturn flanges ofthe caps havenotches 22, which permit them and the plate holder to beturned a predeterminedamount wlthreference to the mouth piece and thebody portion of the casing.

One importantV characteristic of the instrument is the provision of setsof openings in the casing for the inflow or outflow of air. For a threeplate instrument as preferably constructed this requires three sets ofopenin ferentiall cated in properly s aced circumof e casing T eseare-indieV drawi at 24, 25 and 26. The

opening 24 consists 1n this instance of a slot extending lengthwise ofthe body portion of the casing, diametrically opposite from the mouthpiece. This slot in addition to forming a passageway for air, alsovmakes provision f or the necessary spring in the e casing to cause it toproperly frictionally engage the rounded edge portions of the plateholder, since the slot forms in eect two morev or les independentportions clampin or embracing the plate holder with a yieldable action.The other two sets of openings 25 and 26 are located on both sides ofthe middle slot 24 andmay consist of round openings whose numberand'spacing cornes nd to the number and spacing of the. of the reedplates.

This instrument is used in the following manner: If the plate holder isturned as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 so that the chambers or cells 19 oftheright hand spacer 18 are in line with the ope of the mouth piece, thenthe up r ends o the cells of the left hand spacer 1 are closed b thecasing, as clearly shown in F' 6.k owever, the lower ends of the cells dthe left hand spacer 17 now register with slot 24. With this arrangementthe two reed plates and 16 become effective, one as a draw late 7and theother as a blow plate, and the slot 24 and openings 26 become effectiveone lfor the admission of air drawn throu h one reed plate and throughthe mouth piece, and the other for air blown through the mouth iece andthrough the other reed plate. gimilarly, when the plate holder is turnedso that the chambers or cells of the left hand spacer 17 -register withthe openings of the mouth piece, then the reed plates 14 and 15 becomeavailable, and the reed plate 16 becomes ineffective, the slot 24 andopeni 25 then being used, one to admit air which is drawn through onereed plate, and the other for the exhaust of air blown through the otherreed plate. It will be understood that the operator by taking hold ofone end cap can turn the reed plate as desired, from one position to theother, thus changing the combination of plates that are effective forplayi n Whi e lates of different keys may be utilized, of example,

might say byA wa that I have made a very eii'ective instru mentutilizing two standard C plates, together with a G blow plate.

It is not at all essential *hat the casing and mouthpiece be formed asin Figs. 1 tn 5, as will be evident by comparison of these figures -withFigs. 9 and 10. As already exprgined in Fi 1 to 5, the casing is formedm one cy ndrical piece to which the mouth piece is attached, the casinghaving a longitudinally extendin slot diametrically op ite from the moutpiece. In Figs. 9

formed of three pleces, one consisting ofthe mouth piece 27, and theother two consisting of curved sheet metal pieces 28 and 29, the freeedges of which are separated by a slot 30 corresponding to the slot24.*pof the first construction, and their other edgek rtions secured byscrews 31 to the lower slde portions of .the mouth piece. Just below themouth piece the sheet metal pieces 28 and 29 may be indented for thetwo-fold purpose of giving elasticity or spring to the vpieces 28 and29, and to form stops adapted to be engaged by the longitudinal edges ofthe plate holder as it is turned from one extreme sition to the other.In this instance, as is c ear from Fig. 9, the under side of the mouthpiece is curved or rounded, and the top of the slate holder bearsagainst it.

As alrea stated, the instrument may havemore t an three reed lates, asfor example, five reed plates, a live plate instrument being shown inFigs. 7 and 8, this instrument be' constructed 'and operated preciselylike t e three plate instrument first ascribed. In Figs. 7 and 8 thecasing here designated is formed like the casing in Figs. 1 to 5, and isprovided with a projecting mouth piece 36. The five reed plates aredesignated 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41, these reed plates being carried by asuitable plate holder 42 having suitable chambers, cells or passageways43 with which the reeds communicate, and adapted to be shifted as in thefirst instance, to render any two adjacent plates eiective. The casing35 in this instance is provided with five openings or sets of o ningsfor the inflow or exhaust of air, t ese being designated respectively inFig. 8, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48. The middle opening 46 which is adapted tobe opposite from the pa ways of the mouth piece may be in the ormof aslot, like the middle opening of the first described constructions.

With the plate holder in the position shown in Fig. 8, the reed plates38 and 39 become effective, and the openings and 46 are utilized one forair drawn through the Aan 10 the bodyportion of the casing is finstrument,vfind the lother for air blowny .through the instrument. Asthe plate holder is turned from one extreme osition to the other, plates37 and 38, 38 an 39, 39 and 40, and 40 and 41'become effective in pairs.As the holder .is turned through this range, openings 44 and 45, 45 and46, 46 and 47, and 47 and l48 become effective in inflow' and outflow ofair.

It is to be noted, and it is a feature of the instrument, whether of thethree or live plate type, that when the holder is turned so that theupper ed e of any reed late is moved from one si e of the mout 'pieceopenings to the other, the plate is converted from a blow late to adrawA plate, or vice versa. Likewise it is to be noted that when theupper ends of the cells or chambers between any pair of plates are `inregistration with the yopenings of the mouth piece, the lower ends ofthese cells are' closed, and reversely, when the lower ends of the cellsbetween any pair of plates are in communication with an opening or. setof openings of the casing, for intake or exhaust of air, the upper endsof the-cells are closed.

Another feature to be noted is that the middle opening or slot 24 of thethree plate instrument is 1n one position of the holder an opening forthe inflow of air, and in the other osition of the holder an opening forthe ex aust of air, and that the same is true with respect to the middleopenings 45, 46 and 47 of the five plate instrument. That is to say, theopenings 45 in one position of the holder are for the intake of air, andin another position of the holder are for the exhaust of air, and thesame with the openings 46 and 47.

It is not essential to the invention that the plate holder be formed ofa plurality of separate chambered spacers adapted with the reed platesto be clamped together into a unit as described in connection with Figs.1 to 5, for it may be desirable to form the body of the plate holder ofone piece as indicated, for example, in Figs. 8 and 9. Fur

thermore, it is not essential that the openings to which the mouth ofthe player is applied be formed in an outwardly projecting mouth piece,as here shown. The instrument ma be modilied in still other partiularswit out departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as definedin the appended clalms.

Having describedA my invention, I claim:

1. A musical instrument of the harmonica type comprising a casing havinga longitudinally extending perforated portion through which air may bedrawn or blown, and a carrier within the casing having three or morereed plates arranged side by side and extending longitudinally of thecasing and spacer members between the reed plates forming rows of cellsbetween successive pairs for the plates,l said cells being open at oneedge of the carrier, and said carrierfbeing movable in the casing tobring the open ends of the cells of any 'row into registry with saidperforated rtion of the casing.

2. i A musical instrument of the'harmonica type comprising a art towhich the mouth of the pla er ma applied, said part being provi ed wit arow of openin and a second part movable relative to t e first Aand saidsecond part having a plurality of rows of cells formed by a series ofparallel reed plates separated by s acerV members forming partitionsbetween t e cells of each row, sald spacer members being so arrangedthat each cell in a row is adapted to register with one of saidopenings, said parts i being mounted for relative movement of one withrespect to the other whereby the rows of cells ma be successivelybrought into communication with said openings.

3. A musicalin'strument of the harmonica type comprising a part havingopenings through which air may be drawn or blown by the player, and aholder movable relative to said part, said holder being provided withthree or more metal reed plates arranged side by side and means formingcells between the successivev plates, said cells having open ends whichmaybe placed successively in communication with said openings by movinthe holder, said holder being so mount that it may be shifted to move aninner reed plate from one side of said openings to the other to convertit from a blow plate to adraw plate.

4. A musical instrument of the harmonica type provided with a parthaving a longitudinally extending perforated portion through which airmay be drawn or blown by the player, and a carrier movable relative tosaid part, said carrier being provided with three or more reed platesand with means forming open ended cells between successive plates, whichmay be placed successively in communication with said perforated portionby moving the carrier, and means cooperating with any group of cells inregistration with said perforated portion to seal the ends thereofopposite the perforated portion.

5. A musical instrument of the harmonica type provided with a parthaving a longitudinally extending perforated portion through which airmay be drawn or blown by the player, a carrier movable relative to saidpart, said carrier being provided with three or more metal reed platesand with means forming open ended cells between successive Aplates whichmay be placed successively in communication with the perforated portionby moving the carrier, and

`means cooperating with the carrier to seal posite thel perforatedportion and to open 'one or more adjacent ce 1s to the atmosphere. 6. Ina musical instrument Vof the har# monica type, a casing having alongitudinalyl 1y extending perforated portion through which ,air may bedrawn or blown and a cellular member vmounted within the casing,

said member having a plurality of rows of open ended cells arran ed sideby side and l lreed plates forming si e walls of said cells,

said member being movable in the casing to bring any row of cells intoregistry with the perforated lportion ofthe casing, said casing havingadditional Vcircumferentially spaced openings and imperforate portions4series of spaced reed K the carrier',

l lates and spacing members between the p atea forming rows of openended cells between successive plates rwhich are open at the o positeedges of and a casing enc osing the carrier and yieldingly engagingopposite edges of the carrier sopas to permit relative movement betweenthe carrier and casing, said casing having a longitudinally extendingperforated portion ada ted to register wim the cells of any row animperforate sealin portions so disposed ywith respect to sai perforatedportion' that they form a seal for cells registered with said perforatedportion at the ends thereof opposite the forated portion, said casinghaving openings on opposite sides of said sealing portions.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto ax my signature.

GEORGE B. DUSINBERRE."

